Second chance.
AN: The strangest thing happened last week, this story disappeared here from FFN, for it to turn up again a few days after I contacted support(whom I never got any response from..), but it was missing the first chapter, half of the summary and lets not forget that it says on my Legacy story stats that there were no followers nor any favoritisering. So if you didn't get any Alert on this story that would be why. I hope some of you will follow this story again. :)
Now I hope this doesn't happen again, but just in case I'm also posting it on AO3, under the same story and user name. :)
P.S. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I have spent the last 14th days sleeping my migraine off. :/ Yet I still wanted to keep you updated with the Alert problem and I didn't want it to be only an Author note.
Betaed by: C van Zyl (My life saver!)
Paring(s): Jacob/Harry, Past Harry/Ginny and cannon(mostly)
Warnings: Slash, Creature fic, Alpha/beta, mating cycle, possibly Mpreg, Fluff
Genre: Angst, Romance, Fantasy,
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 02) Hopeful.
It had taken some time but Jacob had worked up the courage to ask Bella for help. He didn't know what else to do, as no matter what plan he tried to make, it seemed too impulsive and lame. Doomed for disaster. He was sitting in her kitchen wondering what would be the best way to start this conversation.
Looking her way, he realised how surreal it all was. As she stood in front of the kitchen counter waiting for the tea-water to boil, she suddenly seemed so ordinary. Everything he had once found special about her seemed so insignificant; all paled in comparison to alluring green eyes. At the thought of his imprint a wistful smile lit up his face.
He couldn't help but compare them and he found Bella lacking in every aspect.
It was hard to believe that just yesterday, he would have moved mountains to make a tiny smile appear on her always moody exterior. And now he would only move those mountains for his beautiful imprint.
Bella filled the two cups with boiled water before turning towards Jacob. She was going to ask what flavour he wanted but the question died on her lips. She had never seen that look on him before, and a nagging suspicion told her that she hadn't been the one to put it there. For a moment he seemed so peaceful; so content. Like everything was as it was meant to be. The closest to perfect anyone would ever come.
Without thinking her hands gripped tighter around the hot cups, burning her skin lightly as jealousy burned her insides. Her emotions surprised her and it was with embarrassment that she handed Jacob a teacup and a box with mixed teabags.
"Something happened?" She asked as she sat down beside him.
He seemed so distant. It worried her, but she was hoping that he would talk about what was going on. Hopefully with her.
"I don't know how to begin."
"The beginning would be a good place to start." She joked lamely with a half smile.
Jacob snorted but still smiled thankfully back at her. Her normality felt like a comfort in a strange world that changed too fast and held all kind of new dangers in it.
"You know, the whole imprint business?"
"Yeah?" She hesitated.
He didn't imprint on me, did he?... Please tell me he didn't. She felt the guilt before she had even finished the thought. Bella liked him,she truly did, maybe it was even love. But the whole imprint affair seemed so serious and to be honest the "happily ever after" scared her a little. They were so young and that kind of commitment... Well she supposed she would just have to suck it up and be happy to be his imprint.
"I found my imprint."
Yes yes, she had figured that out already. Here was where he would tell her; they were soulmates and how perfect they were for each other and she would become sad and say with tears in her eyes that she was still dating Edward and how impossible it would be to choose between them.
"...on't know his name, but I figured that since you were both at the same school, you could talk with him for me."
She was speechless.
"Bella?"
"You're asking me to do what!?" She shrieked, undignified.
He had imagined thousands of different reactions but a furious screaming woman was not one of them. He had honestly believed that she would have been relieved to have his attention directed elsewhere.
"I can't believe you would do that to me, y-"
"What?! Do what exactly?" He ended up yelling back after he had gotten up from his seat.
She pointed a finger in his face and said,"You betrayed me!"
She looked so righteous in her anger. He didn't get why she was so angry or how she could suddenly make it all about her. This had nothing to do with her.
"He is my imprint and if you don't want to help then don't. I thought you would be happy for me. You have no right to feel betrayed! You chose Edward, remember? Edward, your vampire boyfriend! Ring any bells?!"
Bella was crying now, and never before had Jacob wanted to hit a woman as much as he did in this moment. It horrified him.
He turned away from her and stalked out of Bella Swan's kitchen, making sure to slam the door shut on his way out. If he had known it would go this way he would never have come here.
Before he had even thought it over, he was running towards the forest, sprinting across Bella's backyard. It didn't take long before he was in the neck of the trees. As soon he as was sure he couldn't be seen from beyond the tree line, he threw his shirt over his head and ripped his jeans open, carelessly letting them fall to the ground, for once not taking care to bind them around his thighs. He jumped gracelessly as he struggled to take his worn sneakers off, not even slowing down as he tied his shoes shoelaces together and bit into the shoelaces letting his shoes dangle against his chest. His eyes was half on the forest terrain in front of him and half on his feet as he struggled to take his socks off. It was just short of a miracle that he stayed on his feet. His underwear haven't even fallen to the ground before he lept into the air and turned. His muscles shifted, letting his limbs change into powerful paws that sprinted even faster over the moss covered earth, almost giving him the illusion of flying.
A howl forced its way up his throat and the anger in him left with it as he howled towards the sky. With each step he took, he felt his heart lighten. If he had been in his human form he would have smiled in relief.
He still didn't know how to approach his imprint, but hopefully he would come up with something... Soon. Before he did something impulsive and stupid.
The English teacher's words were blurred out, drowned out by the birds outside the window. Their song sounding clearer at every note. Harry shifted in his seat and let himself become more enchanted by the soft tune. Like the sea, it made him calm. Made him forget for a moment or two about the world around him. Took him to a place where no trouble and no sorrow could reach him.
"-ead on, Mr. Potter."
Harry turned his head towards his teacher, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed for not paying attention.
"Ehm..."
His teacher just raised a dark eyebrow and grumbled, "Yes, I'm aware that you do not pay attention. But do begin to read out loud from page 46. From the top. I'll let you know when to stop."
"Yes, sir." Harry answered while he flipped through his school book until he found the right page. The world around him still seeming unimportant. The birds song still ringing in his ears. When he finally began to read out loud, his voice was soft but flat; almost monotonous.
"Amy Tan and Ernest J. Gaines typically sets their stories in places that they are familiar with while John Irving often creates worlds completely unknown to him... And..."
The more he read, the further he got from his calmness. It felt like the darkness was closing in on him. The presence of his classmates and teacher doing nothing but aggravate his loneliness. It was scary how alone you could be while surrounded by others.
Why was he here in the first place? Who was he trying to kid? He didn't belong here and he never would. He knew that and yet... Still here he was playing an innocent high school student. A role that he sucked at. Not even while pretending could he fit in here, just like he didn't fit in anywhere elseā¦
A glance to his left gave life to a small smile on his lips as he met Rosalie's golden eyes.
But maybe, just maybe everything was about to change. It filled him with something that he hadn't felt in a long time...hope.
When the bell finally rang Rosalie made Harry hurry to pack his things together and dragged him out of their classroom. The playful smirk on her face didn't promise anything good. That Harry was sure of. Still, he bowed to her wimps and let himself be pulled along.
"What are you up to?" He asked suspiciously when they exited the school and walked into the school's parking lot.
She didn't answer, only the laughing glint in her eyes foretold Harry of his doom. He didn't like it one bit. But before he had the chance to make an escape for his car, Harry locked eyes with painfully familiar brown eyes.
To make matters worse the owner of said eyes was walking straight towards Harry. He turned to Rosalie with a bewildered and slightly betrayed look as he silently cursed himself for forgetting that the young female by his side seemed to know an impossible amount about him. Though how she could know about this too was a mystery but surprisingly, it didn't bother him as much as it would have had it been anyone else. He just added the ability to all the other characteristic oddities of hers that he had discovered so far.
It actually bothered and confused him far more that the Native American was showing him any attention at all. What was going on here?
"Can we talk? Alone?" His Alpha asked and Harry was at a loss for words.
"I-What?" was all that eventually came out of his mouth.
"Of course you may." Rosalie said with a large smile bordering on vindictive amusement as she pushed Harry in his Alpa's direction.
"Have fun!" She waved as she left a stone faced and uncomfortable-looking Harry to join her family and boyfriend.
AN: I'm so sorry if anyone think I'm bashing Bella, because honestly that conversation wasn't suppose to turn out that way, it kind of wrote itself and destroyed my timeline once again. Anyway, let me know your thoughts, yeah? :D
